The present invention relates to improvements in carriers for scuba diving tanks and other, similar tanks.
In the art of scuba diving, a diver wears a generally cylindrically-shaped tank of compressed air on his or her back while submerged under water. The compressed air has an outlet through a nipple end of the tank, a regulator and a, hose to provide air to the diver to breath while under water.
When the tank is depleted of the compressed air, it is conventional to refill the tank through an air compressor facility which may or may not be conveniently near the dive site. Accordingly, it is often necessary to transport the tanks from one place to another for use, for filling and for storage.
Heretofore, efforts have been made to provide devices to assist in carrying scuba tanks, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,872 to Buell, Jr., which discloses a gas cylinder carrier of a rigid material so that it serves as a piece of luggage for the cylinder. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,218 to Hilliard discloses a scuba tank harness which is clamped to the tank transport and removed when diving. However, the prior art tank carriers add expense and complications to the tank carrying function. For example, in both of the two above-mentioned patents, when the tanks are delivered to the dive site, the devices must be removed from the tank before it can be used. This adds an additional complication to preparing for a dive. Also, during the dive, the carrying devices must be stored, and if the dive is from a boat, this can be a problem because space is at a premium. Furthermore, the devices shown in the two above-mentioned patents both appear to be expensive to fabricate.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an inexpensive, convenient carrier for scuba tanks.